Hearts and Fates Entwined (continued)
by fairedust
Summary: This story starts back up at the Algae planet: Part 5 chapter 12. Anyone wanting to read this will need to start at the beginning of Hearts and Fates Entwined. It continues the Exodus of man kind with all our familiar characters as well as adding a few, like lovable giant George. Also "unique" and gifted Tabitha, who may hold some powerful keys to their future.
1. Part V Chapter 12

Hearts and Fates Entwined

By: Fairedust

Part 5

Chapter 12

For the second day in a row, Lee was suffering from a migraine. The only thing that seemed to make it bearable was sitting in the semi-dark tent. He couldn't even make himself go on his rounds, to inspect their daily progress. Every time the breeze would flutter the tent flap, the light that invaded his dark space was like a jagged knife thru his splitting skull. Finally he even gave up on the paperwork, stacked on his desk. He laid his head down, cushioned by his arms.

Soon his mind began to drift. He tried to find a place in his mind to try and relax. Knowing it was the only chance to find any relief from the pain. As usual, his mind drifted to Abby. He saw her smile, the sparkle in her eyes. He could even hear her laughter. The pain began to move into the background, as his memories grew in detail.

But soon, he saw her dulled eyes and began to remember how she no longer would reach out to touch him. He tried to recapture her image on the Pegasus. He tried to force those images of her since she'd lost their baby away. That only brought their night in the observatory back to mind. The night Abby called him to her. The night she shared the image of him, when he held their child.

Lee couldn't help the smile that crossed his face – even if it did hurt. It was as if he could feel her hands on his head, easing away the pain. He imagined he could feel her gentle fingers kneed his temples and scalp. As the memory of himself, Abby and their child crystalized, the pain in his scull decreased. He couldn't help the groan of relief or the sigh of contentment, at the image he saw.

When he felt soft lips gently kiss the base of his scull – all he could think was "she's really here. … She found a way to get down here." Not ever thinking, in his pain dulled mind, he'd have been informed first. No… all he knew was "his Abby" was really here with him. And not just in his mind.

… But then he noticed …

He noticed there was no wildflower scent around him…

Then he knew she could not really, physically be here…

...

Tabby suddenly stopped and turned to face him. Bill could see her emotions warring across her face. "Have I become your prisoner, Adama? The colorful bird to be placed in it's gilded cage?"

"No." Bill said, looking square into her unusual eyes. He truly hoped she'd be able to sense his sincerity.

"NO?" she said a bit dubiously

"No." he repeated.

"Then why am I being guarded? Why can I not move about the ship, as I once could? Why has Cottle denied me to return to duty? We all know I am more than fit." She countered. Then after a pause so brief … Bill never got a chance to respond, she blurted, "Is it because it is now blatantly clear to one and all, I am a Freak? Is that why you are keeping me away from everyone?"

With her face pleading for him to believe her, she burst out earnestly, "I swear! I wouldn't hurt anyone now, any more than I would have before! Don't you understand? My control is greater now. I am stronger now than I ever was bef… " Suddenly her words came to an abrupt halt and her eyes grew huge.

She just realized what she was telling this "man of power". Tabitha froze mid-sentence. She couldn't believe what she'd just been admitting to. Adama already had her under guard. It now really was only a matter of time before he had her truly caged. Suddenly her world began to tilt and her vision to blur.

Adama watched the kaleidoscope of emotions shift and turn across Tabby's face and thru her eyes. He was unsure which emotion she would settle on. Most he could not distinguish, but some he was well familiar with. He saw disbelief, disappointment, confusion, disgust, betrayal, anger and sorrow. The worst for him would be anger. The worst for her would be sorrow. It was the latter he was most worried about. If she solidified on anger, he had no illusions. His guards would not be able to help him before she reacted. If she solidified on sorrow, he wasn't sure he'd be able to pull her out this time.

Her eyes began to dull as if the life were being drained out of her soul. NO! He decided her sorrow was definitely the worst emotion she could settle on. The father in him, not the Admiral, could not accept it. He stepped toward her, his hands raised out in front of him. He thought his approach was unthreatening, comforting even. But when she noticed his movement, her eyes once again refocused… and her emotions finally landed.

...

George had heard the raptor break orbit. He wanted to be sure the Lassie got this new specimen on this trip. He only regretted not being able to see her face light up with pleasure, as he knew it would. That Lass's smile was enough to brighten any ones day, George thought with a grin of his own. He was still wearing that grin and getting a few favorable looks from some of the women working around camp, when he walked by the "pompous Major's" tent.

Even after all this time he couldn't help himself. True, he saw how the Lass' man had come around while they'd all been on the Pegasus. He'd witnessed Lee's attention to Tabitha – though to be honest out among the crew it was all above board. He being one of the few members of the Pegasus' crew Tabitha treated more like family, he'd been able to see Lee with her in unguarded moments. So he knew how the Major truly felt for the wee Lass. He merely continued to call him the "pompous man" more out of principal, than any ill will. But to be honest….. the man really was a bit pompous.

That's when George heard what sounded like a chair slam to the ground and what sounded like other items soon followed. Then George heard the unmistakable sound of a scuffle and grunts. He knew the Lass would NEVER forgive him if anything happened to her man…. this fool. He quickly pushed into the tent. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. But when they did….

...

Tabitha's eyes gleamed with the unshed tears of anger and betrayal. She loved this man! Loved him, as if he were truly her own father. Perhaps it was the depth of her love that caused the feeling of being ripped apart from the inside. Or was it believing how foolish she must have been to love and trust this man. Whatever the reason… it made her feel as if she were being split in two.

When Bill was only a mere two steps away, her body finally reacted to his approach. Thinking he was going to try and restrain her, she lashed out. She knocked him to his knees and then immediately grabbed him from behind. Her arm firmly wrapped about his throat.

Every bit of military training told him to fight back… to defend himself. Years of commanding his crews and dealing with the aftermath of men in battle, (as well as believing he understood Tabitha) told him to stay still. It was a gamble, he knew. But fighting back would gain him nothing but a broken neck. He took the gamble. Soon he noticed her grip did not tighten any more than causing extreme discomfort – but no searing pain. Bill also soon realized he could still breath, though with a bit of difficulty. He began to sense his gamble was the right choice. He forced himself to relax even more, until he was almost limp.

After a brief time that felt like eons to them both, Tabitha's grip began to loosen. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. She could not kill him. Not even to save herself from being used as a shield … or worse… a weapon. She simply could not. The wellbeing of the Fleet never entered her mind. The thoughts of getting out of this room, off this deck or off this ship never entered her overloaded mind. The thought of her visions of seeing this very man on a vibrant, full of life planet never entered her distraught mind. She actually never even noticed Adama not defending himself and going limp. No…

The only thoughts running thru her mind were how she loved him… simply loved him. If he decided to use her love against her – then perhaps that was what was meant to be. She accepted that she loved him… no matter what may come of it. To kill him would be like ripping out her heart. She simply could not, would not do that!

...

When Dee saw Lee with his head laid on the desk and took note of the dim surroundings, she was quick to deduce his problem. Him being asleep never entered her mind. This man would work like a machine, regardless of physical exhaustion. No it must be his head once again.

She quietly walked over to him. So not to startle him, she softly spoke his name. Silently setting down her near armload of new paperwork, she moved behind him. The Old Man did send her down "to help Lee any way she could". To her way of thinking it was the Old Man's intent for she, herself, to take Tabitha's place. As it should have been, she thought further.

After only a brief hesitation, she reached out. Gently she ran her fingers over the base of Lee's skull, along his scalp and massaged his temples. At first she was a bit self-conscious, not sure how Lee would react. But when she heard his groan of relief, she felt encouraged. Surely he knew it was her. And to her delight, she felt him relax under her touch. Even in the dim light she could see the side of his face crinkle into a smile. When she heard his soul felt sigh, her own spirits began to soar.

"Finally!" she thought. "That smile and sigh are just for me!"

She leaned down and placed a soft kiss at the base of his hairline. Her lips could feel the goose-bumps on his skin. If it wouldn't have caused Lee's head more pain, she would have shouted for joy and done a little Touron jig. But she… with effort refrained. However she could not resist the urge to give his neck another kiss.

For a moment, Lee questioned himself if he was still daydreaming. Because he was sure he felt those soft lips once more against the base of his skull. But no he couldn't be. The image of the green planet was gone. The image of his child was gone!

Abby .. was .. gone!

...

Kara pushed herself off the bulkhead and gave herself a good shake. She never noticed the curious or confused looks she received from passing crew members. She was too focused on her task at hand. Once again she told herself she was "Starbuck". The most feared, baddest bad ass pilot in the Universe. Starbuck could face down Cylon Raiders, she could face this. But it wasn't Starbuck here in the passageway…. It was Kara. With a nervous chuckle under her breath, she forced her legs to move. Forcing them to take her to the place she feared more than Cylon Raiders or Centurians.

Too soon Kara found herself looking through a sea of makeshift cubicles and a mass of humanity. Until this very moment, she had not realized the true magnitude of Helo's task dealing with the civilians aboard the Galactica. The hanger bay and beyond into several storage bays were a throbbing mass of people. The air, if one could still call it that, was filled with the stench of overcrowded bodies, cooking, dirt, detergent, herbs, metals, wood, smoke and even some she couldn't identify. After a brief moment, she decided it may be best to NOT identify them. Oh and of course the oddly familiar scent of machine oil. Hence the name "Camp Oil Slick".

The noise was also something she was not expecting or prepared for. The seemingly chaotic sounds from a couple hundred people talking, yelling, singing, crying; the tinkering sounds of the people cooking, working on crafts of some sort, shaking out their belongings, sweeping or cleaning their areas, playing music or simply playing was nearly deafening to her at first. All the sounds and smells put her brain on overload. She actually had to put a hand against the wall to recalibrate herself. After a moment she thought she also detected some sounds of machinery. She assumed they came from the flight deck. But they were not loud enough to overpower the other sounds already emanating from this place.

Slowly Kara proceeded into the chaos. She managed to ask some people along her path if they could assist her in finding her destination. Most looked at her warily… but a few were friendly enough. She even managed to find a couple that were helpful.

...

With a strangled sob, Tabitha thrust Adama away from herself hard. Quickly she moved to the hatch without a backward glance. As Adama tried to pull himself together and to his feet, he watched her open the hatch. Finally … as she stepped thru the door, he saw her look back. Her face was filled with her emotional agony. As she stood facing him, he watched all the emotion drain from her face until it looked like a blank mask. Then she turned to face the guards.

Bill's fatherly instincts came to the fore when he saw her expression resemble more a blank mask than his lively adoptive daughter. The tone in which she spoke to the guards made his concern deepen further. But "what" she said shouldn't have, but did surprise him.

In a dead tone, with no emotion "I am to be escorted to the brig please". When the two men hesitated, her emotionless tone instantly changed. "NOW!" she thundered.

The men knew an order when they heard one. Even if everything about the tiny woman seemed off…. She still knew how to give an order. Neither man really understood the emotion behind her final outburst word. All they knew was it wasn't anger. THAT they had both seen before when, as her giant of a friend would say "ah, the wee Lass is in a fine dither". Their confusion only increased to astonishment when they arrived at the brig. There they watched dumbfounded as Tabitha let herself into an empty cell and closed the door behind her.

Only Adama understood her tone when she demanded to be taken to the brig. The guards were correct. It was not anger. Her blank expression and initial tone was a way to contain the pain that last outburst exposed. Rubbing his neck, he sank down onto one of his chairs to think about what exactly had just happened in here in only a short time.

...

Finally Kara spotted the reason for this quest. Once again she froze in her tracks. She could actually feel the sweat rolling down along her spine. What if this was a mistake? She asked herself. Then she remembered her talks with Tabby. After giving herself a final mental shake, she pressed forward the last few feet. Finally she stood beside the correct cubicle opening.

After only a moment, she felt the small familiar arms of a child take on a vice like grip to her legs. All Kara's fears vanished in that instant. Feeling Casey's tiny arms gripping her tight, she knew once again Tabby had steered her in the right. Then she picked Casey up to get a good look at her. Kara felt the tiny loving arms squeeze round her neck. Soon Casey began to cover Kara's face with kisses, stopped only by her incessant childlike questions. For the first time in weeks, or was that months, Kara laughed ... truly laughed.

...

Adama didn't want her to be in, as she put it, a "gilded cage". But thought for now it may be the best place for her. At least she'd be easier to keep track of; meaning he shouldn't be receiving any reports anytime soon that she has slipped her chaperone detail. He felt sure she'd see reason soon and realize he had NO intention of using her – in whatever manor she seemed so frightened of.

As for their physical/verbal confrontation in his quarters? Well if she had been one of his crew – or even one of the other civilians, the brig is where she'd be. But he had no intention of ever sending her there. Their verbal confrontation he could take the blame for. He should have explained himself. But, by the God's, he was not a man accustomed to explaining himself to anyone! Their physical confrontation also kept replaying over and over again in his mind. How should he have prevented it? Could he have prevented it?

But in the end, he kept coming back to…. He should be dead and was not. Why had she really let him go? Why had her grip been no more than uncomfortable… not painful? Her fear, anger and pain were rolling off her in waves. It was almost an additional physical presence in the room. He could feel and smell it there with them. The room seemed almost electrically charged. There was an odd ozone smell in the air even after she left. He told himself that was impossible. … But the longer he knew Tabitha, the more the impossible not only seemed possible … but probable.

Now all he needed to do – besides run his ship and crew, ensure the safety of the Fleet. Get the algae up from the planet and ensure it got processed as quickly as possible, in the newly scrubbed food processing ship. Then he needed to get Tabitha to talk to him. … Damn! He'd almost settle for her facing him, when he went to see her in the brig. Thus far, she refused to do anything but face the wall when he went to see her. At least he was being assured she was eating. The guard served her, her algae surprise every day. But the guards had told him she was not speaking to them either. She was not speaking to anyone for that matter. Well anyone except Starbuck.


	2. Part V Chapter 13

**Hearts and Fates Entwined**

**By: Fairedust**

**Part** **5**

**Chapter** **13**

**Four days after Tabitha's self-imposed incarceration in the brig, Adama found Roslin waiting for him in his quarters. Fortunately he'd been aware of her arrival. Though he was mildly confused she had not met in in the CIC, as usual. Instead he found her seated on one of his chairs with a drink in her hand.**

**As he stepped through the door, she gave him a quick glance then righted herself in the chair. She seemed to then stare at the amber liquid in her glass. That quick glance was enough for Bill to realize how truly exhausted she must really feel. Not knowing the reason for this particular visit, he was not sure how he should approach it. It was very uncharacteristic for Roslin to show any sign of possible weakness. He took a moment to gather himself.**

**Part of him instinctively wanted to lend her his strength. But he was no bodies fool. If he offered, she'd only balk. Or worse… she'd see him as weak. Realizing he was still standing at his hatch, he took a deep breath. Then he proceeded confidently, though cautiously, into the room proper. After pouring himself a drink he offered to refill hers.**

**"No Bill." She waved his offer aside.**

**"Hmmmm, she said Bill. Not Admiral or Adama. Perhaps this was merely a social call and nothing more to worry about", Bill quickly thought to himself and began to relax, anticipating a nice chat.**

**"We need to talk", she said in a no-nonsense tone.**

**"Damn", was Bill's only thought.**

**"How long are you going to keep this farce up? Do you have any idea the lengths I've gone to squash down all this superstition nonsense, from these fringe groups? Only to have you add fuel to their fire?!" Roslin blurted. Bill's raised eyebrow seemed to really pain her, since she began to rub her temples vigorously. "Bill, don't you dare." She all but growled out through her clenched teeth. "Don't you dare sit there and try to look innocent and bewildered. You know exactly what I am talking about."**

**And he did. She was right there. Though he didn't see this as being within her perview – he actually was surprised she'd waited so long to come see him about it. "She's safe where she is. No one can get to her. I convinced her to move from the brig into the Cylon containment cell. … Well actually Starbuck did most of the convincing."**

**Seeing the shocked look on Roslin's face made him quickly and wisely reach forward to save the glass tumbler. He didn't even need to pluck it from her fingers – merely catch it as it fell.**

**"YOU PUT HER WHERE?" as close to a shriek as the woman in front of him ever came.**

**"The Cylon containment cell, where we used to keep Athena." Seeing Roslin cringe and go back to rubbing her temples, Bill quickly added "It seemed a better solution. She will have much more privacy there than in the brig." When Roslin nailed him with a look that could singe a Raider, Bill refused to bat an eye.**

**"The accommodations are much more comfortable. She will have more privacy for… daily functions. And will allow her more room to move about." He concluded.**

**"Bill! The Cylon containment cell? I've been having a hard enough time quelling some of these fringe groups from an old fashioned 'burning' and you see placing her where we kept Cylon prisoners as a good alternative to the brig? At least in the brig … she was still human."**

**The look in Adama's eyes went from the heat of a Viper's tailpipe to the frigid ice of a polar cap. The tone of Adama's voice sent a shiver down even her spine. God's forbid anyone who tried to harm this woman. A woman he loved as his own.**

**"TABITHA IS HUMAN"**

**After a brief pause he added, "She's safe Roslin. No one can get near her without authorization. She's not out wandering the ship, where some lunatic civilian with a misguided notion or ingrained hatred can get to her. Only military personnel can get into that section of the ship."**

**Roslin hoped for his sake, he was right. But she still wasn't 100% convinced. But for now she'd let it ride. Tabitha was still technically under her jurisdiction – being a civilian. But Bill being the willing woman's adoptive father trumped her hand for the time being. But even she knew keeping Tabitha under lock and key, even if it was to protect her, was folly. Though if she were being honest with herself not even she was sure of any satisfactory solution.**

**…**

**A few days later Chief discovered the Temple.**

**…**

**It took a moment for George's eyes to adjust to the dim interior of the Major's tent. The precious new plant specimen, only an hour ago, George had painstakingly potted to be sent up to the Galactica and Tabitha, fell from his numb fingers. It took another moment for his numb mind to accept what his eyes were seeing. There near the back, by the desk, Lee was on top of the 'Cocoa Viper'. His face was mere inches from hers. Like a man wading through heavy surf, George lurched forward, crushing the fragile plant. He yanked the Major off the squirming woman and non to gently deposited him on his chair (that had somehow remained upright). Next he had the 'Viper' up in the air, held by her shoulders. George was seeing red.**

**But as he started to shake the woman he saw as a threat to his 'Lassie', Chief Tyrol rushed into the tent. All four occupants momentarily froze. George, mid shake. Dee, mid eye popping plea of fear, at the look in George's eyes. Lee, mid command to droop Dee – while holding his head. Tyrol's attempt to catch his breath and shock at what he was witnessing inside the tent.**

**George let go of Dee, like she was rotting refuse and turned to glare at the Major. But he was confused when he saw not guilt, but a sort of relief. Still he was suspicious as to what he'd walked in on. What was the Major's relief from? Was it from being freed of the 'Cocoa Viper'? Or was it due to his not shaking the woman senseless. George was unsure and backed up a few paces.**

**Meanwhile, as Tyrol tried to catch his breath – Gods he was not a man used to running. He felt the unsettling tension in the dim tent. While his instincts told him to back out of the tent and tense atmosphere, duty told him he must report this discovery ASAP. So he cleared his throat, thinking how exactly he should proceed.**

**Hearing the sound, Lee re-gathered his wits and turned to face the Chief. "What you have for me Chief?" Lee said in his usual calm tone.**

**"Ummmm, I found something Sir. Something … uh"**

**Lee raised his eyebrow at the Chief's hesitation and instantly regretted it. But par per form, Lee merely gritted his teeth to push the pain aside. Tyrol saw his commanding officer grit his teeth. He realized he'd best get it out or perhaps the uncomfortable atmosphere may descend on him in the form of George or the Major's anger.**

**Clearing his parched throat once more, he began to describe to Lee what he'd found: the Temple in the cave.**

**…**

**When the Admiral had the detail put together to monitor Tabitha in the Cylon containment cell, he had no idea two of the five men were part of the group that had beat Helo and the Chief in the Pegasus' cell, after Sharon's attack. No reports had ever been filed. Therefore there was no way for him to know. These two men also were not the ones to regularly enter Tabitha's cell with her meals, so she never saw them. The Chief was down on the planet. And even if he were still on the Galactica, there was no reason for him to visit with Tabitha. Especially since, she would not speak to any visitors besides Starbuck.**

**While Tabitha was still in the brig, she'd asked Helo to stay away. She stated he already had to deal with enough pressure. Helo had bowed his head in disappointment as he turned to leave, but was brought up short at the last moment. Tabitha had snatched his arm through the bars.**

**"Trust her Helo. She NEEDS you to trust in her. You MUST trust in her. Your pain and confusion will ultimately bring you joy." Tabby's eyes bored into Helo's for a brief moment. Then she turned her back to him and sat on her cot, facing the wall. Helo left the brig in a full state of confusion, after it became clear Tabby was not going to elaborate further. Thus no one with any knowledge of these two men's previous crimes, were in a position to see them.**

**Col. Tigh had been put in charge of organizing a guard detail. He chose these two men, along with three others, on Gunny's recommendation. Then he thought nothing more on the matter. Well other than to gripe about the waste of manpower at having Tabitha confined. And the waste of not having her in Life Station were even he knew she belonged.**

**When Corporal Cain and Corporal Stevens were assigned to the Cylon holding cell they were at first confused – then stunned. When they'd been told of their new assignment, they'd assumed another Cylon had been discovered in the fleet. As ordered, they entered the observation room, behind the two way glass. They peered into the cell, at first through the monitors and then through the large concealing window. Neither expected to see the tiny woman, who had beat them so badly on the Pegasus, on the other side of the glass.**

**A quick glance at each other, a glance the other people in the room did not see, let them know they were on the same page. … **

**…**

**Bill was correct, her new confined space was better. She could use the 'facilities' behind a partial wall for 'privacy'. There was a cot, a small table and two chairs. There was even enough room for her to pace and do some exercises, though her exercises confused the men observing her. To them, it looked like she was part dancing, part straining against an unseen opponent and part exotic stretching. None of them realized it was an ancient form of training to limber and strengthen muscle. All they knew was it was interesting to watch. Therefore it broke up some of their boredom.**

**Starbuck, being Starbuck, never listened when Tabby told her she should stay away for her own good. She just kept on coming back every day. Kara even brought Tabby her art pad, chalks and pencils. To Starbuck the only two things… ok three things keeping her sane were Casey, her Viper and Tabitha's friendship and unconditional peaceful understanding. She had no intention of leaving her friend here to rot on her own.**

**Starbuck would tell Tabby of her visits to 'camp oil slick' to visit Casey and her mother. Talk about her Viper patrols and of her visits planet side. And any other gossip she could remember. After Tabby's initial mock scowl at seeing her friend once again, her face would brighten with warmth. Though Kara did notice Tabby's eyes would stray to the mirrored window quite often. When Tabby looked at the glass she had an unknown look on her face. Was it concentration? Was it apprehension? Kara didn't know. But it almost looked like she was listening to something Kara herself could not hear. But Kara pushed those thoughts aside, assuming it was just this place that set her friend on edge.**

**Kara had already confronted the Admiral when Tabby was still being confined to the brig. Though she didn't agree with the Admiral, she understood and accepted his reasoning of trying to keep Tabby safe. She too had begun to hear the strange rumors that were circulating around the ship. Even more so in 'camp oil slick' she overheard odd tales and rumors about her friend. Still Kara thought this was just overkill. Kara was sure Tabby would be safe out among the crew. But knowing she was not going to sway her Commander any time soon, she suggested putting her friend in a more comfortable environment. Hence the move to the Cylon holding cell.**

**On one of Kara's visits, she took note of some of Tabby's drawings. They looked like some kind of ancient temple. When she asked about them, all Tabby said with a shrug, "I keep seeing them. I cannot seem to get the image of that beautiful cave out of my head."**

**Later that same day Kara overheard they were shifting more equipment down to the surface. They'd found something.**

**Two days later, just before Starbuck was make another 'milk run' to the surface, she went to visit her friend. Shortly before it was time for her to leave, Tabby's eyes grew round for a moment and she tightly clutched Kara's hands. Then instantly let go as if she'd been burned.**

**"You must be careful Kara. It's no longer safe here" she said quietly. Then she looked down at Kara's hands with sadness, "Oh your hands" she gasped. Then she was instantly on her feet. Though Tabby's face seemed a bit pale confusing Kara even more, the small woman managed a small smile. Then she gave Kara a quick, firm hug. "Remember – believe in yourself" she quietly said into Kara ear, then gently pushed her away towards the exit.**

**Kara was startled and confused to say the least. But seeing her friend walk to the corner of her cell, Kara realized her visit was at an end. She knew she had no time to question her friend further. It was time for her to do her pre-flight. As Kara was exiting the cell, she looked back at Tabby. "I'll see you tomorrow Tab's"**

**Tabby never turned around, but did respond in a soft voice. "I will see you again."**

**As Kara made her way to the flight deck, she wondered about Tabby's final soft spoken statement. It was the first time the tiny woman seemed to welcome, even encourage her daily visits. Where in the past few days Tabby always had ended their visits by saying she shouldn't waste her time by coming back. Heading towards the flight deck with a smile on her face, Kara saw this as a great improvement. And she was already thinking on what they could talk about on tomorrows visit.**

**…**

**Cain and Stevens could not believe either their misfortune or luck, when they were assigned to guard this woman. Neither had forgotten the beating they took at her hands. Since being assigned to this detail they'd planned and plotted how best to use this Gods given situation to their advantage. They also let two other men in on their plans. The two other men involved with making a point to those two Cylon lovers. They plotted to have their revenge. They'd planned to take this tiny abomination of a woman and sell her to a man on the Promethius. Let him deal with her and see if she stayed so high and mighty. They were sure it would take no time at all to break the spirit of this tiny woman. Their plan seemed simple enough. Knock her out, tie and gag her, stuff her into a duffle bag. Fortunately she was so small she should fit easily. Then they were going to put her onto a transport. Simple they thought. All they had to do was not get caught on the way to the transport ship. And if she wasn't able to call out or squirm, that should not be a problem.**

**Then the Cylons found them.**

**When the Cylons jumped into orbit around the algae planet, all hell broke loose. The Admiral had the Fleet make an emergency jump, but could not jump the Galactica. They still had people down on the surface. There was also the matter of discovering what that ancient temple could tell them. Couldn't let the Cylons win the discovery for themselves.**

**Cain and Stevens plans which they had been fully ready to carry out, had to be put on hold. When a Cylon delegation boarded the Galactica, they began to wonder if their plans really did need to be put on hold. It didn't take the two guards long to think through the risks and rewards of this new situation. Already the other two men involved were stationed on the flight deck, as their usual posting. After only a brief hesitation, it was decided the risk of being caught with their ... prize... was well worth the reward. With the beefed up security they even had what they thought was a viable cover story set. Accidents happened all the time on a war ship. It was as good an explanation as any other. ... They set their plan into motion.**


	3. Part VI Chapter 1

**Hearts and Fates Entwined**

**Part VI**

**Chapter one**

**Corporal Cain and Stevens were in the observation room when they watched Tabitha jump out of her chair with a look of terror on her face. They heard her cry out, "They found us! Lee!"**

**Moments after they witnessed her strange action and heard her even more cryptic comments, the claxons began ringing calling the ship to battle stations.**

**With the claxons ringing and Gaeta calling out across the ship "battle stations, battle stations this is not a drill." Cain and Stevens were unable to hear anything else from the tiny woman on the other side of the glass. But they were able to see her reactions. She began to pace like a caged tigress and periodically slammed her hands against the glass as if testing its strength.**

**Cain glanced at Stevens, "You see that? She knew! She really knew!" he said with a gulp.**

**Stevens face filled with undisguised hatred, "Ya of course I saw what that freak did. All the more reason to be rid of it."**

**Cain eyed his companion. Sure he hated his woman for the beating and humiliation she had brought to him. But until this moment he had always thought of her as a woman, not an 'it'. All he knew was he wanted her gone. "Well now what are we supposed to do Stevens? ... Just wait? We were all set to make the trade today! I don't see that happening anymore… do you?"**

**Stevens barely spared a glance for Cain, as he continued to glare thru the glass. "Calm down Cain. It may be a few hours late. But our buyer on the Prometheus seemed like he wanted her badly enough for the delay. And besides with all the commotion it may be a bit easier to slip her onto the transport."**

**This seemed to calm Cain. He accepted Stevens theory that slipping a duffle onto a transport would be less likely to draw attention in all the aftermath of a jump. Both men jumped back from the two way mirror when Tabitha slammed her hands onto the plexiglass of her cell once more.**

**...**

**Shortly after the Cylon's jumped into orbit around the Algae Planet, they hailed the Galactica. They wanted to send a delegation over to speak with Adama and the President.**

**...**

**As Tabitha slowly came around the first things she realized were her mouth was bone dry and her head felt like it was splitting into pieces. The next thing she realized was it was dark. So very dark that at first she thought she was blind. It was when she tried to bring her hands to her eyes, she realized she couldn't move. Momentary panic filled her veins. Out of sheer will power, she remained silent and still. She had no way of knowing her surroundings or her predicament.**

**After a few moments she realized she was not blind, because she could detect light thru what seemed to be the weave of dense cloth. From the light she could barely see thru the cloth and her confined position inside it, Tabby gathered she was stuffed into some kind of bag. Slowly she also realized there were voices near her. Voices she did not recognize. Instinct told her to call out to them. But as before, she forced herself to remain silent. She knew there was no way to know if those voices were friend or foe. Perhaps these people were the reason for her current position.**

**She thought it best to let her senses do the checking. As difficult as it was for her muddled, pain filled head she mentally reached out to see what these people were thinking. She was shocked and frightened by what she found. Only one was human!**

**...**

**In the CIC Adama saw his screen fill with several Heavy Raiders bound for the surface. His response was to order their tactical nukes on line. He set the target for the Temple. All but one Heavy Raider returned to the Cylon ship. Then all was silent. The Cylon's were jamming all the frequencies and the Galactica was no longer able to communicate with those on the surface. It was now a waiting game.**

**...**

**Lee's last orders before losing all contact with the Galactica were specific. Discover the meaning of the Temple if possible. If not, destroy it to prevent the Cylon's from claiming it. With that in mind, Lee ordered the Chief to keep working. But also ordered him to wire the cave to blow. **

**With Kara's assistance, nagging and prodding, Lee was able to get Anders to organize the civilians to rally along with the limited troops available on the ground. No one knew where or how many Clylon's may be out there.**

"**Kara, I need you to do some recon." Lee told her. "But NO heroics. Just a quick sneak and peek. You got that?" The last was said with a glower of authority.**

"**You got it Major." She said with a smart salute.**

"**You're really gonna just send her out there?!" Sam asked shocked after Kara left the tent.**

"**We need the recon Sam. We are sitting targets here. And besides, this is what we do." Although Lee didn't particularly like having his authority questioned, he understood Anders was not military. Lee also knew he needed Anders for the time being. It was obvious to him they were not prepared for any kind of assault. They only had a bare minimum of bona fide soldiers and weapons on the ground. They needed everyone, military and civilians to pull together if they were to survive this encounter.**

**...**

**After realizing only one person around her was human, Tabitha almost gave into panic. Then she heard 'his' voice, which changed her fear into anger and disgust.**

"**Well that went smashingly, didn't it?" The voice sounded peeved and simpering all at the same time.**

**Then another, "Oh do shut him up before I send him out an airlock."**

"**No you won't" came a firm, no nonsense tone from a woman.**

"**Oh I won't, will I? And why is that exactly?" Came the older male voice again, sounding smug.**

"**I'll shut up. Really. No problem. Shutting up now. …" came the sniveling male voice once again.**

**Gods Tabby almost wished smug voice would push him out an air lock. She was shocked he was even still alive. But knew she shouldn't be surprised. This man had the survival instincts of a cockroach. She could almost feel the malicious grin in 'older male voice' as the sniveling rambling stumbled to a stop. Her thoughts refocused on her own predicament when she felt the landing. Where was she? How did she get there? What was happening? Was Lee safe? Was the Galactica safe? Then she heard a ship door open and it all came back to her.**

**She'd been in her holding cell when she felt the Cylon's appear almost on top of the Fleet. Without her realizing her actions, she had bounded up from her chair. She remembered pacing back and forth, trying to find a way to release all the fear and confusion she could feel throughout the ship. But she was almost overwhelmed by what she felt pouring thru the glass that observed her cell. On top of the fear and confusion she felt pulsing thru the ship, she also felt anger and hatred. So much that she tried to angle herself so that she didn't face that side of her cell. And that was how it happened.**

**She'd been pacing in her cell with her back to the cell door when it opened. She'd barely had time to turn and see the two men enter, before one put a cloth over her face. But it was enough time to recognize them. She tried to fight. But her world began to swim and she was sinking. Then only darkness. She now understood what was in the cloth. She was drugged. She even had an understanding of why – hate. She just wasn't sure of the how. **

**But none of that mattered now as she felt her cloth prison being lifted and carried down an incline. She began to wonder if this confined journey would ever end. Then she heard 'old voice' "Drop it over there." And drop it was. Tabitha couldn't prevent the ooomph from escaping her lips at the pain from the fall.**

"**Ah, I believe she has come to. Good." 'Old voice' said with what seemed like self-assured piety. "Open it."**

**Tabby once again heard the odd sound of pistons as her prison was opened and she could once again breathe fresh air. Knowing there was no use in playing opossum, she immediately sat up. As much as she wanted to rub her aching temples and bruised bits, she refused to show any sign of weakness. Instead she scampered the rest of the way out of her makeshift prison. That's when she discovered it was a military duffle bag. With a look of disgust, she toed it away and turned to face her new captors.**

**The metal had moved back to the door, but was facing the two occupants herself and an old man that wasn't what he seemed. An old man she could sense was really a Cylon. **

"**Who are you? And why am I here?" She demanded, managing to say even as her mouth felt dry as a desert.**

"**The why is not important yet, my dear. But you may call me… Cavil." Even though he smiled, there was no warmth. "For now you will stay right here, in this room. Do you understand?" He indicated the metal behind him.**

**Knowing there wasn't anything she could do otherwise, she gave a single grudging nod.**

"**Good. Now I have more pressing matters to attend to. If you will excuse me." he said with a smirk as the metal moved for him to pass.**

**Tabitha quickly looked about the room and saw nothing but an odd couch in the center. Then she noticed a pulsing red line run horizontal on all four walls. When she moved to sit on the couch the metal seemed to follow her movements but made no other move. Sensing she was safe from harm for the moment, she sank down and tried to gather her drugged fuzzy mind. **

**Tabitha's first thought was Lee and those on the surface. She was well aware Kara, Sam and George were among those down there. With her mind still fuzzy, it was hard to concentrate. Barely, she was able to feel her loved ones and the others on the surface. She concentrated again and could feel the tingle of the Galactica also. But try as she might she could not feel the Fleet. She concluded they must have all jumped.**

**The pain in her head was a terrible monster to bear and her mouth was sooooo dry. She knew she needed to flush whatever drug they had put over her face out of her system. Mustering up her courage, she pulled herself up and forced herself to slowly approach the metal at the door. At her approach she saw its hand transform into a weapon and paused. Finally she couldn't help herself. She didn't care if her room was being watched. She finally began to rub her throbbing temples as she sank to the floor, feeling defeated.**

"**I just wanted to ask for some water. … I need water." She said in a broken voice, her head feeling like dragons were beating the inside of her skull.**

**In her misery, she never heard the metal pistons move. Nor the heavy metal feet stomp past her. But she did notice the glass of water the machine brought near her face. Looking up with stunned confusion, she cautiously took the glass. Without any conscious thought, she said a soft thank you… and meant it. The machine seemed to stare at her with its wagging red light as she drank the glass in one long pull. Not knowing what to do with the glass, she offered it back to the machine.**

"**Do you think I can have another?" she asked, not sure if it would allow it or even understand. She saw its head lower ever so slightly. Then watched as it moved to one of the walls. When there a small opening appeared and the glass was refilled. But this time it just waited by the wall and looked back at her.**

"**I get it. You're showing me how." She said surprised, with the ghost of a smile. Again the slight lowering of the head. When she had the glass and knew she could refill it, the machine moved back to the door.**

**Tabitha had no idea what time it was. She had no way of knowing how long she had been unconscious. It was even difficult to determine how much time had passed since being placed in this room. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy, but clearing. Having access to water and bless ALL the Gods – a machine that could understand her needs – access to a commode, she was flushing the drug out of her system.**

**The clearer her mind became the more troubled she got. Something wasn't right. She obviously had never been on a Cylon ship before. So it was possible the energy she was feeling was coming from the ship. She just couldn't convince herself that was true. It seemed every time she reached out to the planet, she felt it. It was something external of the ship, she began to realize. She just couldn't put her finger on it. … That was until she did!**

**She had never felt such energy. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And it was coming from a nearby star! She bolted off the seat. LEE!**

**...**

**It took the Cylon's ship mind core and the Galactica, with Gaeta and all its technology another 45 minutes to realize and understand what Tabitha had just felt.**

"**Sir."**

"**Yes Gaeta? What is it?"**

"**Well Sir, I've been getting some strange energy spikes, Sir. It seems as if the nearby star is preparing to go Super Nova." Came Gaeta's calm, though nervous response.**

"**How long?" Adama said, while holding the bridge of his nose.**

"**Well Sir, I believe hours."**


End file.
